I would say Log Cabin Republicans should lose because of what a disliked group they represent in some circles of the Republican party, but perhaps that's they're strength. I mean, far fewer Democrats would say "Yeah, Stonewalls are gonna burn in hell," but a significant portion of religious conservatives might.

Therefore, being tempered by their own party, Log Cabin Republicans ought to blow the others away.

Because the census bereau definse the median income as about $42k, middle class should begin below that. The poverty level varies, but is about $15k for a family of 3, so I would take that. 80th percentile is around $85k and 95th percentile is about $150k, so I would make a averaged national classification like this:

Father: Purely Polish, grandson of four Poland-born immigrants.Maternal grandmother: German, as in from Germany, never naturalized and with amusing accent.Maternal grandfather: Mormon WASP, if that's possible.

In addition to the higher cost (which is really very modest: BYU is subsidized by tithes from the LDS Church), non-Mormons have to jump through extra hoops. For examples, Mormons just have to be active as per their bishop--who is used to filling out BYU forms. Non-Mormons have to go to extra lengths to get some sort of authority figure (preferably an eclesiastical leader) to write a letter in defence of their character.

I hope it's not uncouth to bump old topics, but I had to comment on BYU.

It's a solid law school, and it's very economical, especially if you're Mormon, even out of state. However, as a Mormon in Salt Lake City I wouldn't consider attending BYU.

Although it's insulated to an extent from the frankly bizzare undergraduate culture, it's still in the heart of Provo, Utah. About 30 minutes south of Salt Lake, it's markedly more conservative. In recent decades BYU has retrenched, becoming more reflective of conservative Provo and the LDS Church. As the flagship Latter-day Saint University, students are expected to adhered to a strict honor code which forbids alcohol, smoking, premarital relationships (including any homosexuals), and even immodest clothing. As a non-Mormon (or "gentile" as Mormons will obliviously call you), you must also get a recommendation from your religious or some sort of secular leader.

Therefore, non-Mormons would probably not be happy there. It's not because Mormon students and professors would be crass to them (to the contrary, they'll probably strive to be especially respectful), but because the school itself is built by and for Mormons, especially more conservative ones.

As for the rankings, BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School is really a solid school, but they're probably helped by the number of applicants. Many Latter-day Saints around the world aspire to go to BYU. Thus the school can be--and is--more selective and competative than it might otherwise be. Most rankings place a high emphasis on selectiveness, and BYU's got it.

I would imagine George Mason gets a similar boost by artificially boosting their applications and increasing selectiveness.

Incidentally, I think jsmagichat is in fact Mormon (probably from Utah) or is at least ex-Mormon. Few non-Mos would know to use the term "gentile" so casually. Many former Mormons are quite anti-Mormon though, so I suppose that's a possibile or even probable.